Left Alone
by ultimateAvatar09
Summary: Dallas Winston has just died and is survived by his sister Bethany Winston. Her life has changed dramatically and she is trying to take charge. In her own POV, she describes the many events of her life and how she is climbing back up the mountain of her life.
1. Chapter 1

Dallas Winston died. I saw him about an hour before he went to the big rumble. He seemed excited and kept telling me about the gang. I haven't met them before. Dalls kept on promising but never introduces me. Well, I am on my own now.

He didn't even stop to consider that he still had me. He loved me, right? That is what he told me for 8 years. He was the last one I had left. Why did he leave me, too? He left me just like mom. He never stopped to think of that.

_Stop it! _I told myself, _you have to move on! You're killing yourself just thinking about them! _I took a deep shuddering breath. It was an hour after my brother's funeral. I had to move on. I just had to! But, where do I go? Dally was the reason I still live with my dad and stepmom. Now he is gone. What now? I needed time to think and cool down.

I started down the road towards the park. My heart felt heavy and my eyes felt dry. I wanted to take a nice long shower and wait for Dally in the tree house. He always knew when I was feeling upset. But, I also knew that he wouldn't be there. I didn't want to start crying again. I didn't have anything left to cry out.

Just as I was prepared to go home, I heard the engine of a car behind me. I turned around to see a Blue Corvair. I froze. I couldn't think. I just stood there like a complete moron. With all the things going through my mind, I could've taken them down in a second. I knew some things Dally showed me.

Stiffly I started backing away slowly, as you would to a bear in the wild. Four Socs with hungry stares came towards me. I put on the worst wolf-stare I could (another trick Dallas showed me). The Socs stopped about five feet in front of me. I was freaked out, but I couldn't show it. My mind was taking in too much.

"Listen up; I don't want any trouble. You wouldn't believe what I went through today." My voice was soft, but stern. I then only realized how angry I was at the Socs. In every way, _everything_ was their faults. My blood was boiling inside of me. My mind cleared. I had one goal: pounding them until they couldn't get up if they took one step closer.

One of the Socs pointed my way and whispered into the other guys' ears. They broke into a running start to their Corvair.

I knew it wasn't me. In their eyes, I was a helpless puppy (that would have hurt them, if given the chance, but they didn't see that) that was lost. I turned around to see none other than Dally's best friend: Timothy Shepard.


	2. Chapter 2

"Thanks." I managed to say.

"Don't mention it," he said, "Beth, I need to talk to you."

Tim Shepard never bothered me, probably because of Dallas. He was decent around me, but I have seen what he has done and said to other people. I didn't want to take any chances. Besides, it wasn't the first time this week when one of Dally's "friends" decided to hit on me. I gingerly walked up to Tim.

"Don't worry. I ain't gonna bite." He said, realizing what I have concluded. "I just wanted to check up on you. You know, making sure you stay in school and making sure you parents ain't giving you any trouble." He said softly.

"Well, they've lain off a bit." I said skeptically.

"Listen," he said, straight to the point, "I can't be nearly as helpful as Dally, but, for all he has done for me, I at least got to watch over his kid sister for him."

I digested that. It didn't seem like the kind of thing Tim Shepard went around doing. Then again, Dally and Tim were tight.

"I won't be completely stalking you, or anything. I'll just try to check up on you from time to time. If you need anything, like beating up some Socs, you can try to find me." Tim said, pushing onward.

"I could have held them off." I said. It was the most typical stereotype. No girl can hold off a Soc. Well, newsflash, I'm a Winston, too.

"I am sure you could have. It was just an example." Tim said in response. But, I could tell from his smile that the thought amused him. "What are you doing out here, anyways?"

"I just needed to cool off and process some things a little clearer." I said. My voice sounded soft and sad.

"You'll get over it kid, you have to." Tim said. It was meant to be comforting, but he obviously didn't have much experience in comforting. For a while, we just stood there, in the biting cold. I didn't know what to say. This entire experience seemed odd to me. I felt lost in every possible way. I managed to come up with an excuse.

"It's getting kind of late, I better get moving." I said.

"Yeah. Do you need a ride?" Tim asked.

"No, I'm fine. I'll walk." I replied quickly, maybe a little too quickly.

"Alright. Just be careful, ok?" Tim said.

I nodded a silent response and we walked our own ways.

When I came home, it was silent. That wasn't unusual at the Winston household. My dad was probably off somewhere, drunk. My stepmother, Christine, was out at one of her rich friend's party or something.

"Nana?" I called into the silence. My grandmother was the only one that would be home. She was also the only one that knew about the true nature of Dallas and tried to be good towards him, other than me.

"I am in the living room, dear!" Nana called back. I dumped by coat near the rack and hung up my scarf. I walked towards the bright and lighted living room.

"Nana. Tim Shepard came to talk to me." I said to her as I sat across from her on the couch.

"Is that so," She began looking at my suspiciously. She only knew about Tim too well from all Dally said about him.

"It wasn't anything bad, he just wanted to check up on me."

"_Timothy Shepard?_" She said in response. I was starting to doubt myself, but it was true and I had to stick up for the guy.

"Yeah, Nana, he isn't that bad of a guy. He is like Dalls." I said. I thought to myself as I said every word. Dally wasn't as bad as everyone thought. For one thing, he practically raised me after my mother died.

Suddenly, the door opened letting a cold wind come in. "I'm home!" said my dad as he slammed the door shut behind him. His voice was slurred and he was falling into walls. "Just had a celebratory drink." He said with a sick smile.

My blood boiled inside of me. How could a man hate his own son so much? Even Johnny Cade's father was at his son's funeral. "I am going to bed." I said, trying to keep my voice leveled. As I got up to speak, by dad gripped my arm.

"Beth, listen to me," he began, his voice suddenly serious, "that boy had no place in this family and he deserved what he got." I was holding on to everything I had. I didn't want to say anything, because I was scared to end up in a yelling rage. I just waited patiently for a good time to leave. Then the door slammed once more.

"Beatrice," called my stepmother, Christine, to my grandmother, "is anyone else home?"

"Bethany and James are here." She said back. Christine trotted into the living room, wearing a peachpuff pink dress.

"Where did you come from?" Christine said to me, staring at me like I was a dead squirrel in the middle of the road. I just stared back at her in response. "Listen kid, don't go crying till' you die for someone as useless and broken as that brother of yours. It was miraculous that Dallas survived until seventeen years."

"You will never understand what it means to lose someone that you can actually care about. You're just a heartless lady!" I snapped back. I really did think that stung…

"Well your right," she said sheepishly, "I still have a mother that decided to hang around." Nana winced. Ouch. That stung bad. Even my drunken dad looked hurt by the mention of his deceased wife. Emotions were overwhelming me, but I willed myself not to bawl. I ran out of the house as fast as I could, grabbing my coat and scarf.

"Don't come back!" Christine called after me.

"Trust me, nothing in your path ever does!" I called back. I had no clue where to go. At this point, anywhere was better than here.


End file.
